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SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, May 1) – Representative Stanley T. Torres is the first Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands lawmaker to disclose his expenditures as requested by a group of concerned citizens.

"We’re happy that he’s open to our request and I believe other lawmaker will also be willing to provide with us their expenditures; they have 30 days," said Tina Sablan, spokeswoman of the group, yesterday.

In fiscal year 2006, Torres, Ind.-Saipan, spent US$101,663.

Each lawmaker gets US$155,000 for personnel and operations.

The cost for Torres’ six personnel amounted to US$98,650. He incurred vehicle rental costs of US$2,413 and US$600 for office supplies and operations.

He did not spend anything on travel and did not receive a subsistence allowance.

As of April 23, his office had spent US$136,567 for personnel and operations — US$133,500 for the six personnel; US$275, PTI communications; US$1,592,...

PAPEETE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, April 30) – Thirty-five sailboats, with crews from Japan, New Zealand, France and the U.S.A., will be sailing in the 3rd Annual Tahiti Pearl Regatta in the Leeward Islands from May 17-20.

One of the boats—the Mumm 30 "Tahiti"—will be skippered by Teva Plichart, who is entered in the Tour de France 2007 sailing event. He said he entered the Tahiti Pearl Regatta as part of his training program.

This year's Tahiti Pearl Regatta, organized by the Raiatea Regatta Association, will start on May 17 with training and a briefing at Raiatea. The next day, the regatta will sail within the lagoon shared by the islands of Raiatea and Taha'a.

[PIR editor’s note: The Leeward Islands of Raiatea, Taha’a, Bora Bora, and Huahine are located northwest of Tahiti.]

The boats will sail from Taha'a to Bora Bora on May 19, and then will sail in an Olympic triangle inside Bora Bora's lagoon on May 20. Huahine has been eliminated from this year's...

The adjustment, which took effect at midnight, is the third price increase in the past month for the island.

With the increase, the price of regular unleaded is now US$3.23 per gallon, premium grade is US$3.38 per gallon and diesel is US$3.35 per gallon.

"Shell Guam must again increase our retail price of regular, premium unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel effective close of business April 30," Shell Guam President Ruben Domingo said in a press release yesterday. "Since our last price movement our cost of supply has continued to increase, requiring today's movement."

The last two price increases were by 8 cents per gallon.

It is not known whether SPPC 76 stations or Mobil Oil Guam will also change their prices. Once one oil company shifts its prices, the island's other fuel retailers usually adjust theirs as well.

SYDNEY, Australia (Australian Broadcasting Corp, April 30) - Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, has accused Australia of trying to discredit him and remove his National Alliance Party from Government.

Sir Michael's speech at a political rally in the Morobe Province at the weekend was punctuated with strong anti-Australian sentiment.

He accused Australia of orchestrating the Julian Moti affair in an attempt to remove him from office when PNG voters go to the polls in July.

Sir Michael said investigation findings into the Moti escape from PNG to the Solomon Islands would not be tabled as it contained untrue information about him.

He also said he would increase the defence force to 10,000 people if he was re-elected, despite Australia financing a downsizing program that has reduced the force to 2,000 people.

SYDNEY, Australia (Australian Broadcasting Corp, April 30) - The Australian Government is being asked to review sanctions imposed against Fiji in the wake of the December coup.

The Foreign Affairs Department has issued bans on anyone involved in the coup from traveling to Australia.

But the Fiji Australia Business Council says the bans have gradually expanded to such an extent that business leaders are being dissuaded from taking up government appointments.

The council's Suva-based president Caz Tebbutt Dennis says it is leaving a hole in the decision making process and preventing the country moving forward.

"What we are finding is that we are missing that opportunity for some of Fiji's best and brightest to stand up and lead the way, back to really the same place that Australia would like to see us be - [under] democratic rule, as quickly as possible," she said.

"We all want the same thing and the Fiji business community should have a right to...

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, April 30) - A two-day regional consultation on Building Partnerships for Crisis Prevention, Human Security and Peace building in the Pacific Region—organized by the United Nations Development Program—started in Suva yesterday.

United Nations Development Program manager for Pacific Center Garry Wiseman said the conference was to find ground for consensus on security issues and a way for governments, civil society and development agencies to come together to address the root causes of insecurity in the Pacific region.

He said it was an opportunity for finding the views and concerns of regional government and academics in the run-up to the Forum Regional Committee in June.

"All of you are well aware of the natural disasters that confront the region on a regular basis, as well as the violence and lawless behavior that have become a recurrent feature in some parts of the Pacific," Mr....

SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, April 30) – Work has resumed on the multi-million dollar Momi Bay Resort project in Fiji after a row between the developers and the Fiji Islands Customs and Revenue Authority was resolved.

[PIR editor’s note: Momi Bay is located on the southwest coast of Fiji’s Viti Levu island. Back in 2005, landowners voiced concern over how project deals were made, saying that there was little in the bargain to benefit landowners. Ratu [chief] Osea Gavidi told landowners highlighted the plight of owners of the land where the Momi Bay Resort was to be built, saying landowners were paid only US$23,820, which equated to about US$4.76 per landowner even though they were losing a rich fishing ground.]

Fiji Mariott developers yesterday confirmed work at the Momi Bay resort resumed last week, but refused to discuss the taxation issue.

Work on the project came to a halt after the Fiji Islands Revenue and Customs Authority ordered the project developers Matapo...

HAGATNA, Guam (Pacific Daily News, May 1) – The 2002 federal report that assessed Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands' vulnerability to possible terror attacks also mentions a history of corruption in the local governments.

With that in mind, allowing the Northern Mariana Islands to continue control over immigration and for Guam to keep its customs authority could be a weak link to securing America's borders, according to the report.

"The level of corruption, lack of capability and influence of insular and cultural considerations inherent in both territorial governments present a constant detriment" to federal authorities, according to the report.

"On Guam, political personages and members of their families have been allowed to pass freely through territorial customs checkpoints without personal or baggage inspection as a matter of routine," according to the report.

KOROR, Palau (Palau Horizon, May 1) – The much-anticipated Earthrace boat docked at 7 a.m. yesterday at the Neco Marine, making Palau the 41st day of its quest to set the world record for circumnavigating globe by a powerboat.

[PIR editor’s note: According to its official website, Earthrace is a bid to break the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a powerboat, and using only renewable fuels. The program includes an 18-month tour calling at 60 of the world’s great cities, promoting fuels like biodiesel, and raising awareness about sustainable use of resources.]

Vice President Elias Camsek Chin and Paramount Chief Yutaka Gibbons led a simple ceremony to welcome the crew.

Prior to Palau, the boat was in Majuro, Marshall Islands and will continue to Singapore.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.